Desitiny
by Masterassassian
Summary: Destiny...a hard subject to grasp. When things grow uncertain, the common man looks to the higher being, the god, the savior. But you never hear Shade in that statement, do you?
1. deyja

**This is not my story! However it is on another fan fiction website (shur'tugal fan fiction). The reason that I have put it on is for both the enjoyment of you the readers.**

**This series is written by the incredible Blackdawn Mybook**

**And this world was created by the incredible imagination of Christopher Paloni **

"Unbelievable." I muttered to myself, stunned beyond belief at this new bit of information (further proof that being normal was totally out for me).

Diane looked up at me, her bright brown eyes curious, "Is something wrong?"

I laughed coldly, "Yeah, my life. But besides that insignificant fact…you're in for shock."

Diane's eyebrows crumbled in confusion as her soft features pouted, her mind seeming to work twice as hard as usual. Her short, curly brown hair – I swear it was the exact color of her eyes – bounced as she rocked on her heels. The 'dress' she was wearing (also known as the rag that never failed to not be washed) was not even close to the color of her hair…it was more like a washed out, dying brown that totally set my mood towards life.

But Diane was, all in all, a very pretty woman. She had a soft body, face, and personality. I didn't even think this woman had ever raised her voice…but then again, I sometimes pushed everyone's buttons. It's more fun than most would think.

I rolled my eyes at her dumbstruck face - so like her when I threw my random air-comments at her - and propped my feet up on the table next to the chair I was sitting in. A small smile curved up my lips as I counted down from five…

Four…three…

Two…one…

"All right! Just tell me what this shock is!" her wispy, gentle voice sounded excited and exasperated as I turned my head back around to waggle my eyebrows at her.

"I knew you'd cave." I said teasingly, my eyes round and innocent.

"You _know_ too much, especially for someone who's never been properly schooled." She pointed out, "But never mind that. I do believe good gossip is involved here." She walked over to me and plopped her own self into a chair next to mine, her puppy-like face pleading with me to tell what I had just found out.

I turned away from her and just stared blankly ahead of me, my thoughts turning, "You are aware of the war currently going on." It wasn't a question.

"Of course I am." Her eyes lit up even more, "Ooh, I do love your power, Deyja, whether you like it or not. But what have you learned this time? Do you know about who won at the battle in Feinster? Did the Varden lose?" she bounced up and down, "Did anything happen to that Eragon Rider? Did-"

I cut her off, "It _is_ hard to believe you are the twenty year old and I am the fourteen year old."

"So I'm immature? So what! Just _please_ tell me!"

"One, I do know about the battle in Feinster. Two, the Varden did not lose…they have overtaken the city. Three, that Eragon Rider is still alive and unwounded. Four, an elven woman named Arya is now a shadeslayer…that bit of information was strange and random. And five, the Varden are in need of great assistance and they march to where we live: Belatona."

Her eyes widened in disbelief, _"Ohmygods! _So, so unbelievable!_"_

I nodded once.

Then I saw Diane's expression change and reluctance enter her voice, "But you said that they need assistance…does that mean that they might lose this war? That what you've been trying to do all this time has been pointless? Or does it mean…that…that you have to leave me now?"

I continued staring straight ahead, "It means that they have a possibility of losing if I am not there to aid them. So yes, now is the time in which I leave you. I have awaited this moment for a while...it was inevitable, we both knew."

Her eyes watered up as I looked out of the corner of my eye. A pang of guilt hit me hard before it disappeared. Ah, the joy of not having any real emotions.

"Please don't leave." She whispered, "'I need you."

"I'll be back. I promise." I looked her in the eyes, "Always know I will come back. But now duty calls."

She looked down and away from my gaze, slouching out of the chair and into the kitchen. She didn't say a word as I again looked away.

Well, did that woman have a way with my feelings. And that's a pretty serious statement, seeing as how I have no real feelings…literally. But I had known this day was going to come for some time, simply because I knew a lot of things. I got Flashes of information, randomly and sometimes not so randomly. It was an odd gift that came in hand, but then again I was odd. And with power comes a price…which wasn't one of my 'okay' things. But staying here longer would only prolong the pain for Diane, because for some strange reason she could actually stand to look and me and care for me. And this was beyond weird, let me tell you. But we had known this day was coming, even if Diane had tried to block it out.

Now things had to get a move on.

"I'll go pack up my things." I announced, making Diane jump. Her head snapped up to meet my gaze.

"So soon? I don't even get another week with you?"

"In a week the Varden could be at our doorstep." I said without any emotion.

"Then why don't you just wait for them to come to you?" she said, trying hard not to whine.

"Because then it will be too late," I muttered to myself, irritated when Diane actually heard my faint whisper.

"Too late for what? Are you keeping something from me?" Her hands went to her hips as her eyes narrowed, an unusual look on her. I sighed…her mood swings were so…her.

"I hold my tongue to keep you safe. Don't worry…I'll be fine. And I promise the less you know the safer you'll be." And before she could respond, I was climbing up the stairs of Diane's home, the broken and crumbling walls of the building far from wealthy living. The space she had housed me in was actually kind of nice, with some windows and open doorways. There wasn't a lot of decorations, just the necessary items. And everything was, well, grey and falling to pieces.

I walked through the open entrance of my dull, gray, too small room and grabbed my traveling pack, stuffing a knife, a piece of paper, and a pen inside it. When I was satisfied with this – I really had no other items that I owned – I walked over to my bed and crouched down, searching the floor underneath it for my sword. (Yes, I was fourteen. And yes, I had a sword. I'd used it before, too…)

I sheathed the sword and buckled it around my waist on its belt, the weight barely affecting me. I swung the pack over my shoulder with ease and then turned to inspect myself in the mirror.

What I saw never ceased to amaze and disgust me.

My blood red hair curved in gentle and messy waves down to my waist, more than a few knots and tangles hidden within. My black pants, black long sleeved shirt, and black shoes were worn from use, as I normally put on nothing else. (Hello, I liked the color black…and this was the only pair of clothes I had.) My long, sharp fingernails looked scarily deadly, matching my sharp, pearl white feral teeth that were so pointed they looked filed. My glowing blood red eyes stared at the familiar stranger in the mirror with something close to disbelief. My skin was paler than a piece of paper and my expression was devoid of anything, although inside I was a raging mess. I was beautiful but wrong...and I was more than stronger than any man. I was simply a mistake.

Who would have thought you could have been born with a destiny like I had been?

Who would have thought you could have a power (eesh, powers) that you couldn't even control? Or when you could, powers that were so destructive that you didn't want to have?

Who would have thought you could have been born with a name like Deyja, especially when its meaning meant _death? _

But who could have thought you could have been born a Shade?

Because, right there, was the beginning of a very long, and very scary story.


	2. Road to Hell

**This is not my story! However it is on another fan fiction website (shur'tugal fan fiction). The reason that I have put it on is for both the enjoyment of you the readers.**

**This series is written by the incredible Blackdawn Mybook**

**And this world was created by the incredible imagination of Christopher Paloni **

I won't go through all the mushy details of goodbye, but I will say that I had shown more emotion than I had my whole life: I had truly smiled my sadness.

Diane – of course – had been her usual, emotional wreck self and had gone to the extremes, crying and sobbing and other unattractive things like that. Before she had obviously been trying to be strong.

Well, that had gone.

But I hadn't stayed long. A hug goodbye (ew, I hate hugs) a few words of reassurance, and I had been out of that gray, dull, crumbling house that Diane had made my home. I had been grateful to her, of course, but her house was a mess…and small…and dirty. But nevertheless, it had been a home. Even if I didn't need one, it had still been welcome, as had Diane's presence.

Now, with my pack slung over my shoulders and my black clothes helping me go incognito, I was slipping quietly away from the ever darkening city. Lights were going out and dogs were quieting their barking to a minimum, while the creatures of night slowly came out of hiding to rule the darkness.

I was one of those creatures.

The pale, crescent moon in the clear sky shone down on me from above, the light making my already too white (ahem…totally not normal or human) skin glow an eerie color, sending beasts that would otherwise watch scrambling in the other direction. Jeez, could I get a break? So I had white skin? So what?

Ha, right. That's like saying, 'So I'm a Shade? So what?'

But whatever. I was alone, on my own, and totally capable. More than capable, actually. My senses, physical improvements, and other survival instincts would get me through this trek and much more than any mortal. It was almost cruel how defenseless they were.

Then, to put a total damper – no pun intended – on my day (night?) it started raining. Of course.

I looked up right as the first light drops came down gently, then harder, and then still harder. Soon it was pouring as I sloshed my way onward, never stopping and never sleeping. I didn't need to.

My clothes were soaked and heavy – not that I noticed – and my hair was still wavy as it hung down in a dark, damp mess of tangles. My pack was wet on the outside, but the contents within were not harmed (I had made sure of that with a simple…_trick._ That's what I used to call the use of 'magic' around Diane. Ha, ha). But I didn't mind the rain. In fact, it hid me from view quite nicely. The city of Belatona was at least a day's walk – okay, I walked pretty past…really, really fast – from where I was now, and so far no one was around. It looks like people don't travel that well in bad weather. Wimps.

I pushed the hair out of my eyes with an easy brush of my hand as I thought back to a simpler time. If you could say 'simple' was 'when I lived alone with no freaking one.' That life had been easier: No secrets, no problems. And I didn't get lonely at all, so, bonus.

I had lived alone for nearly all of my life, right up until I had been twelve. Those years had been easy enough for a born Shade, living in the cities and the wilderness and really anywhere I had wanted. I hadn't had to live by rules and I hadn't had to really try at everything. Magic came almost too easily, even the most difficult spells (but I'll admit, it had, near the very beginning, been a challenge) and physical exertion wasn't a problem. I didn't need sleep, I didn't need to eat but every two weeks, and water wasn't a necessity at all. Cold, heat, extreme weather…I just say bring it all on.

So it had actually been kind of exciting, these years alone. I had been growing in power and had been growing in age, wondering when I would finally cease to grow, when I would stop aging, as I knew I would someday soon. That much I was sure of (remember that freakish power of mine? Yeah…so I can be as sure as anybody).

And then I had met Diane in the city of Belatona. She had been sweet, scared, and totally freaked to see a Shade. I hadn't known what to do until I finally settled on a decision: Tell her what I was and that I had been born with it. This had shut her up pretty quickly, and she had felt sympathy towards me, taking me in. But it hadn't been easy. You see, I did (still do) have one rule about cities: Don't be seen. Stay under anyone's notice. Just keep quiet. So Diane had had to, for two years, abide by this rule. And the other rules, such as don't tell anyone about me, (except for Tolken, a friend of Diane's) don't freak when I have one of my 'information' episodes, (when I go all 'not-normal' and get weird and random flashes of information that has nothing to do with anything…until I figure out that it does) and don't invade my private bubble space (which she did proudly and almost every day).

Life with her had been nice, except the fact that I hadn't been able to tell her everything. Sure, she knew most of what my Flashes were about. And yeah, she knew I was a Shade. But she didn't know I knew magic or the Ancient Language. She probably didn't even know what that meant. And, well, she just didn't know that much about me in general. I didn't really want her to, anyway. We had talked, of course (I'm a sarcastic little girl…all the time, and no one gets respect from me) and I had made her laugh every day at something, and she had amused me right back, and it had been nice. But some things I just hadn't had it in me to ruin her state of mind.

She would always ask about my parents, and I would always say 'I don't know and I don't care'. Which was technically true, since I didn't care…about anything. (That's one of my weird traits…I don't care about anything, really. I can show emotion sometimes, but usually its sarcastic and creepy. ) But the truth is, I didn't have parents. I don't know how it had happened, but I had simply been…created. And gods dang me if I wasn't going to find out why.

I woke from my thoughts with an annoyed snort and looked back up at the sky, the rain now light and in a drizzle, and noticed the moon fading in the distance and dawn approaching. The road I was walking on had ruts and bumps filled with water, and I noticed a few people down the road walking my way.

I was about to turn into the woods – hell no I'm not talking to these people! – but it was too late. The 'leader' man of the group (seven people who looked rough and wild) was tall, around six foot five, and had a large, muscular build, no doubt because of the suckish war we were all now in. His dark hair and eyes locked on me, while the three women (two with black and the other with wheat hair) tensed, grabbing the obviously hidden knives within the folds of their skirts. The other three men (one blonde, one brown, and the other red headed) grabbed their weapons openly, their features tightening.

(Okay, here I will admit that they were at least a hundred yards away. And _here_ I admit that I had really good vision. Better than any bird or predator or maybe even a dragon, in fact. So yay for that.)

I sighed in frustration and groaned. I _so_ did not want to deal with this now…

Humans were so freaking annoying.

I stopped walking in my fast pace and tapped my foot with impatience as they got closer, getting tenser and tenser with every step, until they were only ten feet away. (What, not enough drama in our lives already? Jeesh.)

"You, Shade, what is your business here!" the 'leader' man had a rough voice that shook as he spoke, making my eyes roll.

"Whatever the heck I want my business to be. God, when did people get so rude?" I mocked, my face turning into a feral smile that looked just plain creepy on my face. I hoped it scared the crap out of him…he deserved it.

The women trembled slightly as the man recovered, "Today you die!"

I raised my sharp eyebrows, "Okay, hon, let's not make this dramatic. One, how many people have killed Shades? Right. And two, what a terrible line, 'Today you die!' I mean have mercy, if puns could kill…"

He lunged at me then, everything in slow motion for me. In that two seconds I processed his move, smiled again, hummed to myself, and then stepped to the right, allowing him to glide through air before falling to the ground. It was awesome and kind of boring. I never really had a good fight anymore…and I hadn't used my sword in so freaking long!

"Sorry to run, but I've got places to go, people to see, money to spend. And that just can't be kept waiting. Buh bye." I said cheerily, my fingers flicking toward all of them in general as a soft, grey mist swirled from out of my hands and wrapped around them. They looked scared for a moment, but when the mist was gone, they just looked confused.

"You never saw me, talked to me, or heard me." I said in a weird, quiet voice, watching them closely.

"I never saw you, talked to you, or heard you." They all repeated, looking dazed.

"Good." I nodded, walking past them quickly as I loped onward. The group behind me was just getting their senses back as I disappeared into the drizzle, now running at a steady pace so as to reach the Varden quicker. Time was of the essence.

"Well that was exciting." I mumbled to myself, my breath steady and not even labored. My legs pounded the ground with a rhythmic beat, lulling me into a state of mind that was much more peaceful. The trees blurred past me and the wind slapped at my face at the speed I was going (elves had nothing on me) but all of this was nothing but a caressing dream.

And in this dream I couldn't feel pain…I could do amazing things and help change or destroy the world…I had a brother that was just like me, created and loved by one…

And then I realized that it wasn't a dream.

I won't go through all the mushy details of goodbye, but I will say that I had shown more emotion than I had my whole life: I had truly smiled my sadness.

Diane – of course – had been her usual, emotional wreck self and had gone to the extremes, crying and sobbing and other unattractive things like that. Before she had obviously been trying to be strong.

Well, that had gone.

But I hadn't stayed long. A hug goodbye (ew, I hate hugs) a few words of reassurance, and I had been out of that gray, dull, crumbling house that Diane had made my home. I had been grateful to her, of course, but her house was a mess…and small…and dirty. But nevertheless, it had been a home. Even if I didn't need one, it had still been welcome, as had Diane's presence.

Now, with my pack slung over my shoulders and my black clothes helping me go incognito, I was slipping quietly away from the ever darkening city. Lights were going out and dogs were quieting their barking to a minimum, while the creatures of night slowly came out of hiding to rule the darkness.

I was one of those creatures.

The pale, crescent moon in the clear sky shone down on me from above, the light making my already too white (ahem…totally not normal or human) skin glow an eerie color, sending beasts that would otherwise watch scrambling in the other direction. Jeez, could I get a break? So I had white skin? So what?

Ha, right. That's like saying, 'So I'm a Shade? So what?'

But whatever. I was alone, on my own, and totally capable. More than capable, actually. My senses, physical improvements, and other survival instincts would get me through this trek and much more than any mortal. It was almost cruel how defenseless they were.

Then, to put a total damper – no pun intended – on my day (night?) it started raining. Of course.

I looked up right as the first light drops came down gently, then harder, and then still harder. Soon it was pouring as I sloshed my way onward, never stopping and never sleeping. I didn't need to.

My clothes were soaked and heavy – not that I noticed – and my hair was still wavy as it hung down in a dark, damp mess of tangles. My pack was wet on the outside, but the contents within were not harmed (I had made sure of that with a simple…_trick._ That's what I used to call the use of 'magic' around Diane. Ha, ha). But I didn't mind the rain. In fact, it hid me from view quite nicely. The city of Belatona was at least a day's walk – okay, I walked pretty past…really, really fast – from where I was now, and so far no one was around. It looks like people don't travel that well in bad weather. Wimps.

I pushed the hair out of my eyes with an easy brush of my hand as I thought back to a simpler time. If you could say 'simple' was 'when I lived alone with no freaking one.' That life had been easier: No secrets, no problems. And I didn't get lonely at all, so, bonus.

I had lived alone for nearly all of my life, right up until I had been twelve. Those years had been easy enough for a born Shade, living in the cities and the wilderness and really anywhere I had wanted. I hadn't had to live by rules and I hadn't had to really try at everything. Magic came almost too easily, even the most difficult spells (but I'll admit, it had, near the very beginning, been a challenge) and physical exertion wasn't a problem. I didn't need sleep, I didn't need to eat but every two weeks, and water wasn't a necessity at all. Cold, heat, extreme weather…I just say bring it all on.

So it had actually been kind of exciting, these years alone. I had been growing in power and had been growing in age, wondering when I would finally cease to grow, when I would stop aging, as I knew I would someday soon. That much I was sure of (remember that freakish power of mine? Yeah…so I can be as sure as anybody).

And then I had met Diane in the city of Belatona. She had been sweet, scared, and totally freaked to see a Shade. I hadn't known what to do until I finally settled on a decision: Tell her what I was and that I had been born with it. This had shut her up pretty quickly, and she had felt sympathy towards me, taking me in. But it hadn't been easy. You see, I did (still do) have one rule about cities: Don't be seen. Stay under anyone's notice. Just keep quiet. So Diane had had to, for two years, abide by this rule. And the other rules, such as don't tell anyone about me, (except for Tolken, a friend of Diane's) don't freak when I have one of my 'information' episodes, (when I go all 'not-normal' and get weird and random flashes of information that has nothing to do with anything…until I figure out that it does) and don't invade my private bubble space (which she did proudly and almost every day).

Life with her had been nice, except the fact that I hadn't been able to tell her everything. Sure, she knew most of what my Flashes were about. And yeah, she knew I was a Shade. But she didn't know I knew magic or the Ancient Language. She probably didn't even know what that meant. And, well, she just didn't know that much about me in general. I didn't really want her to, anyway. We had talked, of course (I'm a sarcastic little girl…all the time, and no one gets respect from me) and I had made her laugh every day at something, and she had amused me right back, and it had been nice. But some things I just hadn't had it in me to ruin her state of mind.

She would always ask about my parents, and I would always say 'I don't know and I don't care'. Which was technically true, since I didn't care…about anything. (That's one of my weird traits…I don't care about anything, really. I can show emotion sometimes, but usually its sarcastic and creepy. ) But the truth is, I didn't have parents. I don't know how it had happened, but I had simply been…created. And gods dang me if I wasn't going to find out why.

I woke from my thoughts with an annoyed snort and looked back up at the sky, the rain now light and in a drizzle, and noticed the moon fading in the distance and dawn approaching. The road I was walking on had ruts and bumps filled with water, and I noticed a few people down the road walking my way.

I was about to turn into the woods – hell no I'm not talking to these people! – but it was too late. The 'leader' man of the group (seven people who looked rough and wild) was tall, around six foot five, and had a large, muscular build, no doubt because of the suckish war we were all now in. His dark hair and eyes locked on me, while the three women (two with black and the other with wheat hair) tensed, grabbing the obviously hidden knives within the folds of their skirts. The other three men (one blonde, one brown, and the other red headed) grabbed their weapons openly, their features tightening.

(Okay, here I will admit that they were at least a hundred yards away. And _here_ I admit that I had really good vision. Better than any bird or predator or maybe even a dragon, in fact. So yay for that.)

I sighed in frustration and groaned. I _so_ did not want to deal with this now…

Humans were so freaking annoying.

I stopped walking in my fast pace and tapped my foot with impatience as they got closer, getting tenser and tenser with every step, until they were only ten feet away. (What, not enough drama in our lives already? Jeesh.)

"You, Shade, what is your business here!" the 'leader' man had a rough voice that shook as he spoke, making my eyes roll.

"Whatever the heck I want my business to be. God, when did people get so rude?" I mocked, my face turning into a feral smile that looked just plain creepy on my face. I hoped it scared the crap out of him…he deserved it.

The women trembled slightly as the man recovered, "Today you die!"

I raised my sharp eyebrows, "Okay, hon, let's not make this dramatic. One, how many people have killed Shades? Right. And two, what a terrible line, 'Today you die!' I mean have mercy, if puns could kill…"

He lunged at me then, everything in slow motion for me. In that two seconds I processed his move, smiled again, hummed to myself, and then stepped to the right, allowing him to glide through air before falling to the ground. It was awesome and kind of boring. I never really had a good fight anymore…and I hadn't used my sword in so freaking long!

"Sorry to run, but I've got places to go, people to see, money to spend. And that just can't be kept waiting. Buh bye." I said cheerily, my fingers flicking toward all of them in general as a soft, grey mist swirled from out of my hands and wrapped around them. They looked scared for a moment, but when the mist was gone, they just looked confused.

"You never saw me, talked to me, or heard me." I said in a weird, quiet voice, watching them closely.

"I never saw you, talked to you, or heard you." They all repeated, looking dazed.

"Good." I nodded, walking past them quickly as I loped onward. The group behind me was just getting their senses back as I disappeared into the drizzle, now running at a steady pace so as to reach the Varden quicker. Time was of the essence.

"Well that was exciting." I mumbled to myself, my breath steady and not even labored. My legs pounded the ground with a rhythmic beat, lulling me into a state of mind that was much more peaceful. The trees blurred past me and the wind slapped at my face at the speed I was going (elves had nothing on me) but all of this was nothing but a caressing dream.

And in this dream I couldn't feel pain…I could do amazing things and help change or destroy the world…I had a brother that was just like me, created and loved by one…

And then I realized that it wasn't a dream.


	3. Moment of Wyrda

**This is not my story! However it is on another fan fiction website (shur'tugal fan fiction). The reason that I have put it on is for both the enjoyment of you the readers.**

**This series is written by the incredible Blackdawn Mybook**

**And this world was created by the incredible imagination of Christopher Paloni **

_Well, hell. _I thought, wincing as another arrow shot after me, missing my head by a few good feet.

And this is a perfect example of why I prefer _not _to steal food from people. But I _had_ been tired (yes, that's possible to be even though I don't sleep), and I hadn't wanted to hunt and cook and go through that process. I mean, why go to those lengths when others had plenty to eat? _Hello?_ Common sense always wins in this war.

But obviously sneaking in to that grumpy old lady's campsite, taking a few bits of food, and sneaking away hadn't worked as well as I had thought it would. (Hence the arrow…arrow_s,_ actually.)

Now she was yelling at the top of her frail little lungs and charging at the air as I dashed away, just a blur for the human eye. I looked back to see her blink once…twice…three times before scratching at her hair-filled old head. I laughed coldly and poured on the speed, my legs disappearing at how fast they were working.

Yeah, it was awesome. And yeah, I knew that I was a freak. But I was _my_ freak.

My stomach gurgled and I grabbed it, my teeth clenching and almost breaking my own skin on the inside of my cheek by the force of my strain. I took a deep breath and calmed myself, my muscles relaxing and my mind once again concentrating on the task at hand: The joy of running.

But the other part of my brain was reeling. I had been traveling for two weeks and sightings of human activity were getting more and more frequent as large herds (what else do I call my prey?) of them flocked together, heading toward my old city of Belatona. I had gotten more Flashes telling me that they were preparing to either help the city against being captured or warn them. And, from my most recent piece of information, most of the people in that city wouldn't fight back.

The underbrush of the woods was soft and light against my skin as I ran on, me not being 'normal' making it possible for running to actual be a breeze. It was fun, energizing, and it awoke the fire in me…I just loved to run. I was advanced…I was a Shade…and as far as I knew, my unknown brother and myself were the only born Shades alive. We were the new super-race of our created generation. (And I'd crack anyone's head open if they started celebrating over that depressing news. I swear it.)

I gasped as images suddenly blocked my view, forcing me to halt my run. I skidded a good amount of yards before tumbling to the ground and writhing there like an animal in torture. My teeth were bared and my fingernails – more appropriately called 'claws' – dug into the ground while my hair was an even more wild, glowing, blood colored mess around my face. It was painful...it was too much almost...but I'd done it before...

_The sun was just rising in the background…the tents of every color surrounded me, with occasional trees parting the sea…women looked forlorn; children were outfitted with too-big mail armor clinking on their tunics; men looked nervous, sparring with one another in full armor…I crouched low behind a tent and pounced, landing on what looked like an elven-human mix… _

_Then the familiar, cold, crystal clear voice of a male slithered into my Flash and spoke: "The time of Wyrda is upon you." _

The Flashes slowly faded into oblivion, blessing me with the power of full control over my body once again. I panted where I was, although I knew that I shouldn't be panting. My body was sprawled across the floor of the earth, looking misshaped and mangled, but I didn't have it in me to move my limbs. Slowly, ever so slowly, I removed my claws from the dirt and looked by my side to see my matted, patched pack. The hues of every color were bright and clear, as they always were, and not clouded and blocked, as having Flashes made them be.

But they usually weren't that painful. Most were just momentary, and some I didn't even feel a thing. Which meant that this Flash had been important. Which also meant...well, hell.

I reached a finger out to the side and hooked it around the strap of my pack, bringing it to rest beside me. I untied the small but elaborate knot at the top of the pack and whispered a single word in the Ancient Language, so as to allow me access to it.

My hand wrapped around the piece of paper and pen as I got to my knees, grunting as I sat up and crawled over to a medium sized rock. It was smooth and flat and had but minor flaws, and I set the piece of paper on it.

I dabbed the tip of the pen on my tongue, removing it and watching with sparkling red eyes as fumes sizzled and crackled from the pen's writing point. It glowed a bloody red and burned ice cold while I smiled and wrote:

_"The time of Wyrda is upon you." _

I then folded up the piece of paper and rubbed the glowing pen on the ground, extinguishing its magic. Walking over on strong legs to the spot where I had fell, I examined the damage I had done. I winced.

A round, trench-like tunnel – without the top – was 'dug' through the earth a good fifty feet long and two feet deep. Roots, plants, rocks, and other materials had been thrown up and around the site, giving it a crash-landing kind of feel. And where I had stopped my mad halt, leaves were tossed and dirt looked thoroughly harassed from my digging. I sighed.

This is what happens when a Shade stops running randomly and then falls to have weird Flashes.

But I didn't have the time to fix it. I had to be on the move if I was going to get to the Varden's camp by morning, and it was already twilight. Time was wasting...and I am not one to waste time. Heck, it got on my last dang nerve to be late.

I stowed away my items and shouldered my pack, continuing my run as I hurried to catch up with my lost time. The trees and night once again flew by me as my legs disappeared with their speed, and my eyes witnessed the happenings of night in a clear vision. The moon was hidden by a few lone clouds and, as a stray, lone thought, I wondered how Diane was doing…if she'd be okay without me there.

Then again, why the heck should I care?

Good gods I won't lie to you…these people had a thing for tents and animals.

First impression of the Varden: Circus.

Latest impression of the Varden: A circus _with_ weapons.

I mean, hello, there couldn't be any more tents. It was crowded with them, with, if you were lucky, about seven feet of walking room through each isle. Well, scratch that. There was actually just one area where all the tents were, which was the eastern side of their 'camp.' This area was obviously where they slept and such…but hell, where did they keep all the animals?

And that's what I could hear the most, what with my better-than-immortal hearing. Confused and irritated, I centered my hearing focus on each individual tent until I found a rather large one, and that's when I noticed the gates and pens.

The western side of their camp held the sparring field: where people were, well, sparing. Trees were scattered throughout the tent area and in the distance, where the river was to the east, but that was it for foliage.

The northern side of camp had this pole-looking thing that I assumed was their lashing post, and more grey colored tents (not nearly as colorful as the others, let me tell you) were gathered behind it and in that general area. While where I was hiding, I was somewhere between the 'men sparring' and the 'women working on the chores' areas.

I was hiding behind a single, lone blue tent, the resident obviously not present. A tree was to my left, giving me the option of looking at everything from a comfortable view…which is when I saw that elven-human man thing.

Whoever he was, and however he had done what he had done to himself, I needed some assistance and fast. And although this might not have been the way to get the job done, it was all I could think of doing right now. I mean, I am a monster…and, really, there's no arguing with one of us on this kind of subject.

He walked closer, his stride long and elegant. He had fresh tan leggings, a white silk (probably elf) shirt, and tall black boots on. His hair was tousled and a light, brown but golden blonde color.

And all I could think was, Ugh, he was a _pretty boy._ Great.

As he unsheathed his sword - the blade a beautiful blue that made me hesitant to take in all its details in two seconds - I took a moment to crouch and bare my teeth, my hair practically pulsing off of my shoulder with a creepy, glowing color of excitement.

I jumped from my hiding spot with grace, tackling the man roughly. We rolled a few feet from my attacking area, a few gasps sounding in the distance while others yelled for backup, me being able to hear their thundering and too-loud footsteps as they came to aid him. (Obviously, they hadn't seen my hair or my eyes.)

I, go figure, saw everything in slow motion…like a dream. It was kind of weird, watching as first his blade was between us and I was on top; and then the blade was at his side again, crushed under his arm as he was on top; before it was again between us, the sword's blade cool.

And yet somehow, somewhere along the line, I had ended up on the bottom, much to my disgust (it would only make asking questions harder) and he had ended up pinning me to the ground.

Can we say, luck of the draw? Or just plain luck, perhaps?

His cat-like, brown eyes focused on me quickly, widening with shock as I smiled my point-teeth, Shade smile.

"Well hell, isn't this just awkward?"

Then I laughed.


	4. the light within

**This is not my story! However it is on another fan fiction website (shur'tugal fan fiction). The reason that I have put it on is for both the enjoyment of you the readers.**

**This series is written by the incredible Blackdawn Mybook**

**And this world was created by the incredible imagination of Christopher Paloni **

Did you ever know humans (even the weird, hybrid, half elf, half human things) don't like to be laughed at by Shades?

I hadn't.

Did you know that weird, hybrid, half elf, half human thing was strong?

I did now.

As soon as the cruel, haunting laugh had echoed out of my mouth, the thundering approach of the stupid backup people ceased, preferring to just stand there like slack-jaw idiots that had nothing better to do than look at me than help the poor pretty boy. The hybrid's eyes had flared, showing nothing but pure, hell's fire furry towards me, which had been amusing…he just looked so fragile.

That's when I had noticed his friends, the twelve – thirteen if you count the black-haired, proud-looking elf lady that stood with them – elves running toward us in the distance, halting when the hybrid held up his hand. It looked like pretty boy had servants.

That would only make things more interesting…in the end.

He ground his teeth together and reached for his sword, putting more pressure on me to keep me to the ground. I looked at him in shock and said, "What, am I not good enough for the whole army to attack me?"

He leaned back to inspect me as I smiled at him, getting my legs between us and whispering, "Gotcha."

His breath left him in a rush as I pushed him from me, propelling him a good twenty yards away while I, myself, shot back five. I jumped up and straightened, watching him right his own self quickly.

"Can nobody just say, 'hey', anymore?" I shouted at him, pointing at everybody and staring them down as they cringed, "You act like I'm a plague or somethi-"

And that's when the pretty boy hit me. My breath left me in a whoosh, my whole body crumbling as he drove into me. We landed roughly, me trying to snap back into reality from the shock the hybrid had given me.

_Dang him. _I though acidly, my hands whipping up to my face bare-handed to grab his blade that was slicing through the air to reach my _heart._ Like cold rock, the steel met my hands and stopped, my muscles immediately adjusting to the strength I now required to keep the blade at bay. I heard pretty boy gasp.

I turned my head slightly to eye him, seeing him do the same to me. I didn't smile or laugh or do anything in general, and he seemed to be frozen in the stance he was in. His features, so like an elf's and yet rougher and wilder, puzzled over me, and I couldn't help but think that this hybrid had to be at least _somewhat_ intelligent. And no creature of importance should have to die…which is why I was going to try to calm things down.

"So…how are you?" I asked in what I hoped to be a friendly tone, trying to loosen him up a bit.

His mouth formed an O of shock as the audience that was growing ever larger around us made noises of disbelief.

"Eragon!" the high, commanding voice of a female met my ears and I turned my head to the side, following the actions of the hybrid. A dark-skinned woman who looked like she owned the place was staring at us in shock, her gaze turning to me, fear dominating as I stared right back at her.

"I'm slightly busy…" he growled, turning his quizzical and demanding stare back to me, "Now…"

His face blanked and his eyes cleared, a look of serene peace overwhelming all other features on his face. I was about to say something sarcastic when a presence of large proportions rammed into my defense walls, startling me.

I narrowed my eyes at him and hissed (actually hissed, because I'm not just saying it) and blocked my mind, his attack lessening and becoming weaker as he realized that this wasn't the way to approach things. Nobody had gotten into my mind before, and nobody was getting into my mind now.

The joy of having a goal to aspire to!

His expression just started to come alive when, randomly, a roar deafened all of us. I screeched, high and shrill and a totally eerie and creepy sound that only worsened the mortal's pain. The hybrid, still pinning me down to the ground, looked dazed, but more in the present than most seemed to be.

That's when I saw her: the blue dragon from the many visions I had had of it. Its scales glittered and shimmered and flowed like molten lava stained the color of all blues, and its teeth were long, sharp, and were now bared at me. Its claws dug into the ground as it leaped closer to us, much closer than any others were.

"Saphira!" the pretty boy turned his head and yelled at the dragon, his eyes pleading with it to not come closer…and then I knew three things:

The dragon was a girl (or a male dragon with the unfortunate girl name Saphira).

The hybrid, pretty boy pinning me to the ground was her Rider (hello? I'm not just a pretty face…I'm smart too).

And I had just tackled the Rider/pretty boy/hybrid thing. Great.

"You're the Rider? Oh this is _spectacular."_ I muttered out loud, watching as he turned back to glare at me.

The dragon took another step closer, her jaws parting slightly to let me see the blue flame that she was holding back. Smoke tendrils spilled out of her nostrils.

"Okay, this is f-ing pointless!" I sighed loudly, startling everyone, "I was just tackling someone for my merry entertainment and then I get this? Heck no."

I gathered my legs under me and kicked at the Rider, sending him flying off of me and into his dragon's forearm while she roared in furry. Knowing I had only moments to spare, I jumped up and held my hands above my head.

"For the love of gods, just _stop_ the fighting! I'm not doing anything! Just leave me the freak alone!"

And guess what? The people of the Varden stared.

Yep. It was a total stare fair.

The dark-skinned woman took in a startled breath, her shocked, brown eyes widening as she beheld my surrendering hands and my slack face. But the black-haired, noble elf woman had a little _somethin' somethin'_ to say about me and my _bad_ behavior.

"This is an abomination to hesitate. We Kill her while we have the chance, or else all evil will break loose!" she stepped forward one, tiny, graceful step. Her sword flashed to her side, unsheathed, faster than I thought was capable for her.

"You mean, all _hell_ will break loose." I corrected her, being my usual sassy self, "Evil is technically a little melodramatic, but hell is a place and therefore more appropriate. And it's my favorite cuss words…or, well, one of my only cuss words."

She hissed at me, "You'll speak no longer, demon."

"Oh, to the contrary, elf-y. Speaking is what we do best…" I gave her a low, mocking bow, my hands still raised in the air.

It looked like she was about to pounce on me when the hybrid – ahem, ahem…the dearest Rider – spoke up: "Wait."

Her head snapped up to meet his steady gaze, "What? Have you forgotten about Durza? About Feinster?"

Hurt and hatred flashed through his eyes as he sighed, "No, how can I forget such a thing? It was he who caused me much pain… But Arya, we can't be…totally sure of her actions right now. Maybe she even knows something we need to know…"

Her eyes narrowed, recognition flashing through them, "Forgive me for the previous statement about Durza…it was no easy thing to conquer. And although you have a point about the Shade, I know that isn't what you truly have on the mind. Her knowing something isn't that important to you…so why, then, do you pretend to hide the fact you don't wish to kill her?"

The crowd murmured softly as she announced this, and he looked nervous, shifting from foot to foot while I accessed the situation: The hybrid boy was Eragon Shadeslayer; the cranky elf was Arya Shadeslayer; I was holding my hands straight in the air like a nimrod; they knew about the deceased Shade Durza (whom Eragon had probably killed); and this Eragon was trying to keep me here and in the 'alive' realm…but why?

"Arya brings up a good point, Eragon." The dark-skinned woman spoke now, looking from me to him, as if still pondering who to be more interested in. (I won in that contest, thank you very much.)

"Okay, fine, you want to know?" he burst suddenly, his eyes frantic as they met my own, "Because we _need _her. I have to fight a man who's been practicing the art of magic for a hundred and more years, and I know thirteen elves fighting alongside me isn't going to make a difference!" his hand momentarily traveled to a small, leather pouch at his waist, immediately grabbing my attention. But he was back to speaking before I could question myself, "We need her…we can make her help us. But I can't do this without more magic…fighting fire with fire is something we have to do in this case. Magic is a must."

I watched as faces agreed on the 'magic' part of his speech, and watched as even more brightened and nodded about the idea of making me help them, some looking at me evilly as the thought of having me at their mercy floated through their slow paced minds. The elf/Shadeslayer/cranky woman looked at Eragon when he was finished speaking, processing his announcement.

"Your proposition is a…large one to ask of, Eragon." The dark-skinned woman spoke, eyeing me this time, "But I cannot deny your words. We need more magic if we are to win against the king. And a Shade's power will be more than enough. But her cooperating won't be easy. This could be our downfall if she turns, Eragon…she isn't even _with_ us. She is frantic and undecided, although I cannot figure out any reason why, besides a simple ploy."

And then I realized that nothing was going to make these people trust me…but something could make these people at least let me stay and fight for them.

I spoke suddenly, speaking in the Ancient Language as the words escaped my lips quickly and with force and magic, _"I swear, as a Shade and a creature in this land of Alagaesia, that I will assist the Varden in any way possible. The dark king will have no willing help from me, nor will I hurt the Varden in any attack willingly."_

Great. The words were out, the eyes were upon me…

And I was starving. Heck, I was about to _pass out_ from hunger.

Again, the shocked look crossed the dark-skinned woman's face as she processed what I had said, "Arya…"

"There doesn't appear to be any way we could really improve the oath. But maybe a few more words added would suffice…"

The proud woman nodded her head, her hand waving towards me as she approved of the elf woman's advice.

Arya – the name being spoken (thought) sounded wrong – turned to face me, "You wish to be in our arms? You threw the surrender at us, and now you wish us to accept you? Know this, Shade: Acceptance is rare. Acceptance from a Shade is even rarer. Don't expect anything more than a side to fight for."

I nodded calmly, bored. I had to use all of my Shade eared, hard core resistance that I had and to reach for it deep, deep, _deep_ down, so as to find it in me not to yawn. I had already known I would just get a side to fight on…and that's all I wanted. Besides, these people had no chance in heck to win without a Shade's help, because that's all it really came down to.

So ha! Every side does need a little dark, eh? Go me.

"Then repeat in the language with which you will not lie: I swear to assist the Varden; I swear to seek the black king out only if by order or if I wish to destroy him; I swear to protect, never harm, the Varden and its people and everything to do with the Varden; I swear to fight for the Varden and the Varden alone; and I swear to do all of this willingly. I swear to punish myself if I fail to abide by my oath of loyalty to the Varden; I swear to be loyal and faithful to the Varden; and I swear to help slay the king."

Okay, I wasn't wild about the 'I swear to punish myself' part of the oath, but nevertheless, you better believe I said it. Because I'm just awesomely awesome that way.

After my final words had been spoken, ease seemed to ruffle throughout the people of the Varden like a cool breeze. People started slowly backing away from orders from higher ranking soldiers, and a large band of important looking people were turning around some distance away and walking toward a red command tent. Then, big shocker, the elf Arya walked up to the dark-skinned woman, speaking low as to not be heard by anyone.

But hey, you had to give me credit…I had good hearing. Super hearing, actually. Even if my growling stomach was a little too loud.

"I believe I did the best with the oath as I could under the circumstances, Lady Nasuada. She was a danger to us, and her surrendering gave us an unbelievable opportunity that Eragon wisely reminded me of. We couldn't bind her too tightly, else we would have a forced friend, and to no one's surprise she would have wrecked every evil she had on us at some time. You don't force the service of a Shade…even this shockingly young one."

"But what do we do about the problem of her still having freedom?" the woman – Nasuada – whispered back, strained and tired sounding.

"We must ease this life onto her little by little, Lady Nasuada. Her oath and freedom, hopefully, will keep her with us, I think. Round the clock watch will keep her in line, I assure you." She nodded her head toward the group of twelve elves curtly, and Nasuada nodded, frowning as she motioned for the Eragon Rider to come to her.

"Yes?" he whispered lightly, his face soft but hard under the day's events of stress.

"I need you to stick with…the Shade. While she is under our wings, try to at least keep her with us _mentally._ Maybe even learn of her ways and teach her ours…whatever it takes to keep her with us, but be sure to keep her knowing this is a worthy cause, for the oath is nothing without her cooperation."

He nodded, "I will…and it seems we have made a powerful move, Lady Nasuada. But the difference is I believe we have made a _good_ move. She will help us, I think…but it all comes down to what Saphira finds in our ally…" his eyes straying over to his dragon as she approached…

Ha, ha. Guess who she approached? Come on, it's not hard to guess.

Right. Me. Joy to the land…

The wind shook the trees that lined the back of the camp and the few surrounding the tents, my red hair swirling in my face. The grass brushed at my ankles, insects and other small creatures breathing with life in the mini jungle of lush greenness. I curved my long fingernails inward, trying hard not to smile in greeting (smiling was never good for a Shade to do).

Her head cocked to the side as she surveyed me, her huge, blue, round eyes taking in all of my details. Then a presence vaster than any I had ever encountered touched my mind, slightly frustrated when it had to wait for my permission to enter my thoughts. Obviously she wasn't one to keep waiting.

Revolution was the first of her emotions as she entered my mind, but quickly a shield was established between us, only words reaching from one end to the other. I didn't know what she had gotten as an emotion from me, and I like to think it was nothing: just blah.

_A young mind with old thoughts, young one, a wise woman you be. Welcome to the Varden, if your intention is to strike and not bite, that is. _Her words had a power that illuminated from it, and I smiled an innocent smile, the gesture looking much more like an evil smile than I would have liked.

_As well as you, young dragon…although you aren't a woman. _I chucked in my mind, _Thanks for the welcome, I think. And either way, I'll have to strike and bite if I am to survive. _

She hissed, _Your dietary needs are repulsive, no one will deny. Not even you. _

_It is not my fault if I must eat some human flesh to survive. _I stated, puffing up at her, _But I will try to temper the need and dine with the dogs…your humans, I believe another term would be. _

She swung her head down to the ground to be eye level with me, her scales shimmering as she moved. The depths of her core was cold and unfathomable, _You have a light within you somewhere, young one. I will find it…and I believe we will be more than just friends, you will soon find. _

_I have no light within me, and that is my curse. _I looked at her squarely, my jaw set, _Those who disowned me are dead…those who showed me kindness are recovering from wounds…the Varden will be no different with me, sooner or later. _

She chuckled, _So you believe, young one. You have a light, why else would you have come? Unless the purpose be for evil…but tell me, is it? _

I hesitated, swallowing hard. Then in the Ancient Language: _Saphira Brightscales, no, my purpose here is not for evil. I wish to…help. _

_Your journey here will cause us no evil, that is now for certain. But tell me, do you come to solely help us, or to help you find your light that I see within you? _

_As I said, there is no light. _

She shook her enormous head, _But you did not fully disagree with my statement, no? _

I started, my mouth forming a frown as she chuckled, _See there, little one. You are in denial of the truth. After all, your heart aches for one you love, does it not? No, surely light does exist for one to care so much for one they love, for I care as much for my dear Eragon. Light is in you, and I seek it. You will be repaired from the damage done to you, little one. I swear it… _

She turned and walked away then, leaving me and my thoughts to roam free. Her mind slowly withdrew, and one statement hung in the air, echoing after me as she softly whispered it my way: _Darkness brings light to those who seek it… _

And I ran.

I ignored the soft grass playing at my feet and taunting me to come lay; I ignored the breeze that played with my hair and the trees and the grass and the tents of the camp; I ignored the people who turned to gawk at me like buffoons; I ignored the sunlight that now peeped through a cloud, casting a beautiful path of sunlight through the clouds and onto a single spot over the river; I ignored my gnawing hunger that made me almost woozy with fatigue; and I ignored the overall greenness of the plants, wetness from the rain, and fresh smell that hovered in the air.

I turned and flat out ran to the other side of camp, jumping over tents as I made my way to the river. I didn't care about my oath now…I didn't care about where the humans and elves and dwarves and dragon thought I might be going…I just wanted to get away from the _truth_ that now seemed to surround me!

I passed the green life and jumped over the river in a single bound, flying over the short distance of twenty yards with ease. I then scrambled up a tall, mountainous rock that was resting by a mighty tree, across the area of water and by the forest of other, smaller trees, clinging to the rock like it was my lifesaver.

Words, ever more words, circled around me, shimmering in the air with pulsing colors, it seemed. _Darkness brings light to those who seek it…Your heart aches for one you love, does it not?...You will be repaired from the damage done to you, little one…I swear it… _

Once at the top of the warm, shaded rock, I curled up in a small ball, staring fixedly at a small pebble that too laid on the enormous piece of stone. The painful, dull ring in my chest made me look down, confused and more than pissed. I _had no heart_…or if I did, it no longer beat for life. It beat for death and decay. So the odd, note-like melody that I heard now was the bitter sweet echo of what should have been…but wasn't.

But I couldn't deny it…I wanted the dragon's words to be true. I wanted to have a light, _some_where, _some_how, hidden within me. I wanted the dragon to help me…I wanted her to fix me from the mess that I was now. I didn't want to be a monster, anymore…I had never even wanted to _be_ a monster!

Saphira's – now I would, and could, never forget the name of the one who seemed to know me so well – softly spoken words, _little one, _twirled round and round in my head. She had said them with such…tenderness. It gave me a spark inside…something that made my echo-of-a-heart's-beat cease to ring so painfully.

For the first time in my life, I felt hope.

For the first time in my life, I knew I missed Diane, which meant I loved her like my own never-to-be-family.

For the first time in my life, the dull ring in my chest told me I still had a heart…and that it was still fighting to beat for my personal battle of darkness and light.

For the first time in my life, I cried.

I cried for the life I had lost…

And for the light I could still find.


End file.
